


Orange Scented

by AmanaMistleaf



Series: Sweet-Apple Blend [4]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Bathing/Washing, Claude von Riegan is a sweetheart, Cuddling & Snuggling, Domestic Fluff, Established My Unit | Byleth/Claude von Riegan, Established Relationship, F/M, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Golden Deer Route, Fluff, Hair Washing, Implied Sexual Content, Married Life, Oranges, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Touch-Starved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:48:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24155356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmanaMistleaf/pseuds/AmanaMistleaf
Summary: Claude and Byleth spend a lazy morning together.
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth & Claude von Riegan, My Unit | Byleth/Claude von Riegan
Series: Sweet-Apple Blend [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1632028
Comments: 16
Kudos: 87





	Orange Scented

**Author's Note:**

> The Claudeleth Fruit Story™ continues!

Byleth awoke to cooing morning doves and an empty bed. She slowly opened her eyes and turned to the side Claude normally occupied, unconsciously chasing his lingering scent and faint warmth. It wasn’t like him to leave her alone like this; sure, their schedules were demanding, but they would at least make sure to wake the other should their presence be needed early. Claude always woke later than Byleth, so his sudden absence was baffling.

She sat up, eyes scanning their shared bedroom. There were no signs of skirmish (although, their room was always a chaotic mess of books and maps). Byleth noted that his puffy jacket was still hanging off of the back of a chair, so it was unlikely that he had gone to meet someone.

“Claude?” She finally decided to just call his name.

“In here,” her husband replied. She turned to the sound of his voice and only then noticed that the door to their bathroom was slightly ajar.

A few days after their wedding, Seteth made arrangements for Claude and Byleth to reside in her father’s old quarters. They were perfectly content with staying in one of their old rooms, but the dorms weren’t exactly made to tailor to married couples - nor did they offer the privacy they so desperately needed. 

Claude’s neighbors could find somewhere else to be in the days following their wedding, but not every single night.

Their new room suited them just fine: It was isolated from others, within range of the facilities, a bed actually big enough for two people, and enough room to hold more than one bookshelf (even though Claude ignored it more than half the time and threw books on their bed). It wasn’t as big or grand as the Archbishop’s quarters, but that mattered little to the newlyweds. What they had was perfect -- cozy. 

Besides, it gave Byleth comfort to be in a place that was once her father’s: She liked to think that her parents settled down within these very walls.

Something that did come with the room, however, was a private bathing room; they took advantage of that fact quite frequently.

Byleth swung her legs over the bed, bare feet meeting the cool, wooden floors. She slowly shuffled over to the bathroom, rubbing her tired eyes with the sleeve of her - Claude’s - shirt.

When she entered the room, she was totally nonplussed by the sight of her husband in the bath. His copper-colored skin glistened with bathwater, unruly dark hair falling in front of his eyes. Byleth always loved when his hair was down - it made him look, in his words, more roguishly handsome. She couldn’t help but agree with that sentiment. 

It made her happy that despite the hate he received growing up, he was able to find pride in his looks. In all fairness, what wasn’t there to be proud of? He’s handsome and he knows it.

“Mornin’, sleepyhead.” Claude smirked at his wife, brushing his bangs out of his eyes.

Byleth sleepily shuffled over to the water basin and prepared to wash her face. The faint smell of orange blossoms filled her senses; Claude must have used a scented oil. “That’s something I normally say to you,” she said, splashing her face with cold water. “Why are you up so early?”

She could see him move out of the reflection in the mirror. He leaned his upper body on the lip of the tub, resting his head on his crossed arms. “I didn’t have a chance to wash up last night and went to bed sweaty - I swear, training with Felix and Leonie is a  _ nightmare  _ \- and since I don’t have any meetings planned this morning, I decided to take a bath.”

“Ah.” Satisfied with his answer, Byleth turned around and, not-so-subtly, admired her husband. The first thing to catch her eye was his bare hands; she was about to point it out but swiftly noticed his wedding band was placed carefully on an end-table nearby. Claude, being the sentimental sap he was, almost never took off his ring unless absolutely necessary (such as when he was washing, mixing poisons, or if it got in the way of his archery; even then, he opted to wear it on a chain around his neck).

Claude’s smirk grew, that scheming look returning to his emerald gaze. “You know, this tub can fit two.”

“I’m well aware.”

“And I’m not opposed to sharing.”

“I see…” Byleth strode over to the tub, standing over her husband. “You could have just asked me to join you, right?”

He winked. “Ah, but where’s the fun in that.” He picked up her hand, pressing a kiss over her ring. “C’mon,  _ azizam.  _ The water’s fine.”

_ Well, when he calls me that, how can I refuse? _

She swiftly undressed, ignoring her husband’s wandering eyes. They’ve seen each other naked several times, so this was nothing new. Still, Claude couldn’t help but stare at his beloved’s beautiful body - scars and all.

Byleth sank into the tub with a pleased hiss, the warm water doing wonders to her aching muscles. The scent from the oil surrounded her, encouraging her to relax further -- she’d always loved oranges. Her muscled legs brushed against Claude’s, making her hum in delight.

Claude smiled, gaze absolutely smitten. “Hello, my love.”

“Hi.” She took a quick gulp of air before plunging beneath the surface, wetting her hair. When she re-emerged, Claude was still staring at her like a love-sick puppy. “Is there something on my face?”

“Only beauty.” He winked.

Byleth simply stared at him with a deadpan expression.

“Okay, okay. Even I’ll admit that wasn’t one of my best ones,” he sighed, brushing his hair out of his eyes once more. He reached for a bottle of soap, motioning for his wife to sit closer. “C’mere. Lemme wash your hair.”

_ How could I possibly pass him up on that?  _ Byleth thought as she moved towards him, turning around. He tucked her into his chest, her back tickled by the hairs he had there. Two skilled, callused, hands came to the sides of her head, already covered in a sudsy substance. Taking a quick sniff, Byleth determined he wasn’t using a scented brand. He must have held off on it since the water itself had the essence of oranges. Dexterous fingers began to work small circles into her hair, reaching every nook and cranny Byleth otherwise never paid attention to.

It wasn’t until after her marriage to Claude that Byleth realized just how much she was missing when it came to personal grooming. Being the sovereign duke, Claude had to put up a well-kept exterior. He always took the time to make sure he was presented nicely - it was part of his routine. It wasn’t that he was vain or anything, no: he liked looking nice and it made him comfortable.

And Byleth wasn’t complaining. 

At all.

As the new Duchess Riegan, Byleth felt that she needed to put as much effort into her appearance as her husband did. He assured her that wasn’t the case at all, but she still wanted to try.

Yeah, she gave up after a week. At least she knew how to wash her hair properly, now.

A low sound of pleasure escaped from the back of her throat as Claude gently massaged her scalp, unconsciously leaning into his touch. If she could only experience one feeling for the rest of her life, it would be this: Tucked safely into her husband, warmth surrounding her on all sides, and clever fingers working all the stress away from her body.

Claude chuckled at his wife. “You like that?”

Byleth cracked open an eye. “You already know the answer to that.” This wasn’t the first time he’d washed her hair, after all. Her seafoam green hair was all soapy, but she couldn’t pull herself away to wash it. “You know what would make this even better? A glass of wine.”

“ _ Azizam,  _ it is hardly six in the morning.”

“Mhmm.” Her eyes flicked towards their bedroom, knowing they stashed away a few bottles. “Thanks for telling me the time.”

“I understand that mercenaries aren’t shy when it comes to alcohol, but surely even Jeralt wouldn’t drink wine this early!” Claude exclaimed, scooping up a few palm-fulls of water and trickling it on his wife’s soapy head.

Byleth breathed a chuckle. “Of course he didn’t!” Warm water dripped down her face and back into the tub. “He drank  _ whiskey. _ ”

He groaned, nuzzling his face into her nape. “By the stars, By…”

“I’m kidding! ... _ Mostly… _ ” She whispered that last part. “And this is coming from the man who drank a quarter of a bottle of whiskey on the day of our wedding. Before  _ noon. _ ”

He made a noise of discontent; she could feel his frown against her bare skin. “It was a stressful day, Byleth!”

She turned around in his lap, hair still sudsy. “At least you know not to drink the whole bottle.” She booped his nose. “Now, help me wash the rest of my hair.”

Claude rolled his eyes, encouraging his wife to sink down into the water to properly get the soap out. She could have fallen asleep right there; if it weren’t for the fact that she had to strain her lower body muscles to hold herself at such an awkward angle, she would have done so. Her eyes fell shut, both from exhaustion and not wanting to get soap in them.

After what felt like a few blissful eons, he stopped rinsing her hair, pulling her back up to rest against his chest. Claude smiled at his sleepy wife, wrapping his arms around her scarred center. He brushed her hair over her shoulder so he could nuzzle his face into her neck. “Want me to braid your hair?” he rumbled into her ear.

Byleth cracked an eye open to see he already had a comb in his hand. “Mhmm…” All she could do was hum in agreement.

Claude began to work out the knots, careful not to tug too hard on her locks. “Did you not sleep well last night?”

She pulled her knees to her chest, one hand skimming over the surface of the water. “I slept fine, love.” Ever since she and Claude got married, she was sleeping better than she ever had. The combination of her husband’s warm body, the equally warm water, the calming orangy scent, and the gentle ministrations on her hair all cooked up the perfect recipe to make Byleth drowsy.

“Are you not feeling well?”

“I’m fine.”

Claude undid the final knot, beginning to part his wife’s hair for a braid. “You sure? It’s not like you to be so groggy.”

“Cross my heart.” She did so to prove her point. “Taking a warm bath with you so soon after waking up simply over-relaxed me.”

Her husband sighed, pressing kisses into her half-braided hair. “If you say so…”

She reached up, threading a hand through his wet hair. “Do you need me to wash you?”

Claude growled against her, taking a deep breath. “As much as I’d love your help, I already did most of my washing before you came in.”

“So? I’ll just wash it again.”

“Byleth,  _ I love you,  _ but I will not over-condition my hair. That is a mess neither of us wants.” He flipped back his soaked bangs. “These luxurious locks don’t maintain themselves, you know.”

“By the gods, Khal,” she groaned.

He finished her braid and rested his chin on her shoulder, looking up at her like a pleased cat. “You love me.”

“You test my patience.”

“I live solely to keep you entertained,” he said as he pressed warm kisses against her throat, wrapping his arms around her center and pulling her close. “And I happen to think I’m  _ very  _ entertaining…”

“Claude…” She half-heartedly wiggled in his embrace. “We have to get out of this bath at some point.”

“Few more minutes,” he rumbled against her skin. “Wanna spend time with you.”

Byleth rolled her eyes, tiredly reaching up to card her and through his hair. “You’re so clingy sometimes.”

“Can’t help it; I’ve got the best wife in the world and I’ll be damned if I don’t smother her with affection.”

As annoying as he was sometimes, Byleth loved the attention Claude gave her. She knew he was severely touch-starved and she was more than happy to indulge him when he was in a cuddly mood. She herself was deprived of affectionate touches, as her father wasn’t a very touchy person. Then again, all those years ago, the thought of another person touching her made her want to snap their necks; somehow Claude was able to break through that barrier, even before they married.

Byleth huffed, trying to breathe in Claude’s scent but instead of that spicy warmth she grew to desire, she was met with the floral smell of orange blossoms. She made a sound of discontent, nosing her way further into his skin in hopes of finding it. 

Claude chuckled at that. “Should I put on my cologne once we dry off?”

“Yes please…”

He kissed her cheek before pulling away. “You are absolutely adorable,” he cooed. “Who would have thought my once stony-faced professor would become this expressive?”

“I have you and the Deer to thank for that.” She chased his lingering warmth. “Every single day, I learn something new about myself; some new emotion I didn’t know existed up until that point.” She grinned up at him. “And alongside that, I get to see your smile grow true with each passing day.”

“You’ve taught me  _ many  _ things, Teach,” he sighed, adjusting his position so the tub wasn’t digging into his back anymore. “How to smile was one of those things. And how to trust; and love; and live each and every day to the fullest and without regret.”

His words made Byleth’s “heart” soften, tears prickling in her eyes. “I’m glad I chose you.”

“Yeah,” he bent down and sealed their lips together, “you made a good call on that,” he murmured against her mouth.

Byleth reluctantly pushed him away as he held her tighter. “We have an army to tend to.”

“Screw the army…” Claude sounded like a wyvern whose favorite fish just got taken away. “I want to spend time with my wifey…”

“And we’ll spend plenty of time together during the war meeting!” She pecked his nose, scooching towards the opposite side of the tub - the movement caused the dwindling scent of oranges to stir once more. “We’re going to prune if we stay in any longer; let’s finish up so we can head out.”

Claude grumbled under his breath, face scrunching up in an adorable pout as he handed her a bar of soap. “Don’t be so crestfallen, my little deer,” Byleth said as she scrubbed herself of what dirt and grime lingered on her skin. “We can cuddle later, if you’d like.”

He perked up at that, all of his attention on her. “Promise?”

She reached out and brushed his bangs out of his eyes, mentally making a note to remind him he needed a trim, and giggling when he chased her hand (goddess, she swore she married a cat). “Promise. Now,” she sat back, “the faster we finish, the quicker we can go about our day, and the sooner we can snuggle. Deal?”

Claude nodded furiously at that, finishing up his washing like a man possessed. He was a very simple man who knew what he loved: Archery, feasts, his friends, Byleth, cuddles, etc. 

Byleth smiled at this, silently finishing her own routine.  _ I married a silly, loving man,  _ she thought to herself.  _ And I would have it no other way. _

**Author's Note:**

> I'm gonna be completely honest, I had some trouble thinking of an orange related story because I don't like oranges. When in doubt, bath fluff (although my asthma is disagreeing with the idea of a scented bath). Also I need more hair-down Claude in my life. IT LOOKS VERY SOFT AND I WANNA PET IT!
> 
> Anyway, thank you so much for reading and supporting this series! It really means a lot to me!


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